1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to golf stroke improvement aids and more particularly pertains to adjustable golf stroke improvement aids which may be used to assist a golfer to maintain an appropriately rigid and repeatable body stance and also to keep his eye trained on the golf ball throughout his back swing and strike.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of golf stroke improvement aids is known in the prior art. More specifically, golf stroke improvement aids heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of improving the accuracy of a golfer's shot are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. The present invention is directed to improving devices for improving the accuracy of a golfer's shot in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,143 to Dwyer discloses a golf stroke training device for use with the head of a conventional golf club that includes a body and a pair of opposed legs fastened to the striking surface of the head of the golf club. The golf stroke training device discloses attaches directly to the head of the golf club thereby exposing the device to the force of the shock generated when the golf club strikes the ball whereby the device may be easily jarred from the preferred alignment to the golf club striking surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,991 to Flinn describes a head positioning aid for positioning a user's head with respect to a remote object such as a golf ball. U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,114 to Levenson et al. describes a golfer's optical alignment instrument which allows a golfer to align the intended target that the golf ball will travel to be aligned perpendicular to a line crossing the golfer's shoe tips whereby aligning the golfer's body to the target. Both the disclosures mentioned heretofore make no provision for maintaining a rigid head position or body stance throughout the golfer's back swing and strike.
The prior art also discloses a golfer's head movement indicating device as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,468,545 to Anderson which consists of a view-angle-sensitive optical gage placed on the ground near a golf ball to be struck, and situated within the golfer's field of view while striking the golf ball. The indicating device described in the disclosure is limited to use during relatively dry weather because water droplets formed on the lens surface will tend to distort the optical properties of the lens thereby interfering with the usefulness of the gage. Additionally, the indicating device disclosed does not offer the advantage of simple construction and economic manufacture.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,971 to Soles describes a visual alignment system for use in golf clubs which allows for alignment of the golf club with the invisible line for a ball to travel by use of a parallactic indicator formed into the golf club head. The alignment system disclosed has a disadvantage in that the alignment system must be provided for each golf club used. Also, the disclosure does not teach a method for maintaining a rigid head position and body stance throughout the golfer's back swing and strike.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,556 to Karasavas shows a golf trainer orientation apparatus consisting of a semispherical cap for placement on a golf ball with a window permitting meridional markings to be placed on the golf ball relative to a reference plane defined by the device. The disclosure does not teach a method for maintaining a rigid head position and body stance throughout the golfer's back swing and strike. Furthermore, the disclosed invention does not offer the advantage of simple construction and economic manufacture.
In this respect, the golf stroke improvement aid according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of increasing the accuracy of a golf shot.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved golf stroke improvement aids which can be used to increase the accuracy of a golf shot. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to devise apparatus to improve the accuracy of golf shots. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.